Site to raise awareness for Charcot Marie Tooth. Discuss my quest to run the Boston Marathon while having CMT. Talk about training and doing marathons, half marathons, triathalons and duathalons. Discuss being an athlete with a disability.

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Monday, March 31, 2014

"You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you." - James Allen, Author of As a Man Thinketh

I've been telling people all week I didn't feel ready for Boston. Running a marathon is physical, but the mental aspect is even more important. It is difficult to be successful at this distance if you don't feel you're ready.

My program for this Boston has included a lot less running and more cross training. My focus really was the National Paratriathlon Championship in Austin at the end of May. I wanted to be healthy and recovered so I could compete well there. That meant my longest run was only scheduled to be 16 miles.

I know from looking at Iron Man training programs that the longest run for most of them is 16 miles. I still think of myself as a runner, so it is hard for me to believe I can run 26.2 miles on race day with my longest run of only 16 miles. I know I should trust my coach and my training.

The training has been going well. My legs feel great and I am not nearly as tired as I've been in past years. Still I did not feel quite ready.

So this Sunday I decided to lengthen my long run on Sunday just a bit. My coach had a 3 hour run of 16 miles on the schedule. I decided to lengthen it just a bit to 20 miles. That is an important mark for me. I always say if I can get to 20 miles, it is just a 10 K to the finish. I can walk it if I have to.

The plan today was to also to get in some hill work. The Boston course is downhill for the first 10 miles and then there are another 10-12 miles of rolling hills. The big hill "Heart Break" hill is at mile 23.

My coach suggested recently I get a GPS watch and today I was going to use it for the first time to be sure I got in my 20 miles.

Well things did not start out well when it took 30 minutes for the watch to find a satellite. The signal kept cutting out. The pace was wildly off. It was anywhere from 5:52 to 15:50 minutes per mile.

The good news is I got in two stretches of hill work. About 30 minutes early in the workout and another 30 minutes late in the run. That helps me to feel ready.

Since I just did a 15 K last week I have a good idea of my pace. The 3 hours and 45 minutes I ran should be about 20 miles. My ankles and feet really hurt. I wonder when I do these runs how I will ever run for almost 5 hours on race days with these shorter runs are so painful.

The truth is no matter how much I run and prepare, marathon day will be a long painful day. It takes a strong will and desire to push through the pain and fatigue. The mental prep I did today, makes me feel like I am finally ready and it's a good feeling. Boston here I come.

**********************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a two time participant of the
Boston Marathon. She was the 2012
National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division. In 2013 she qualified as a
member of the Team USA Duathlon Team. She will compete in 2014 at the Age Group
World Duathlon Sprint Championship in Pontevedre Spain.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 145 members in 29 states. We also have members in Australia, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

It was 26 F here in Milwaukee this morning so it's still good weather for soup. This soup packs from great nutrition from the spinach and quinoa. This will be perfect after my long run today. I have my final long run today before the Boston Marathon. I don't feel ready yet, so maybe 18-20 miles today's of hills will help me get there. Hope you enjoy this soup!

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a two time participant of the
Boston Marathon. She was the 2012
National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division. In 2013 she qualified as a
member of the Team USA Duathlon Team. She will compete in 2014 at the Age Group
World Duathlon Sprint Championship in Pontevedre Spain.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 145 members in 29 states. We also have members in Australia, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

This recipe is based on a recipe from “Super food
Kitchen.” I’ve always liked breakfast
bars. They are easy to grab to take to work. I eat breakfast at my desk pretty
much every day. The problem with most commercial breakfast bars is they are
loaded with sugar.

So when I saw this recipe I wanted to try it. These bars are
great. They have a nice firm consistency, but are still moist and have a fresh
lemon flavor. For a less intense flavor
substitute one tablespoon of the lemon juice with water.

* I created the oat flour by grinding old fashioned rolled
oats in a blender to make flour.

Combine the chia seeds and lemon juice in a small bowl. Let
them sit for 20 minutes so the seeds expand.

While waiting for the chia mixture, combine the oat flour,
baking powder, lemon zest, dates and 1 cup of the coconut in a medium
bowl. Mix well. In another bowl combine the apple sauce,
coconut oil and honey. Combine chia
mixture with other wet ingredients. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well.
Press into prepared pan. Flatten using
your hands. Add remaining coconut to surface of bars. Press firmly into mixture.

Bake for 35- 40 minutes or until the coconut on top is
toasted.

Remove and cool. Cut
into bars when still a bit warm. Makes about 12 bars.

These were really good with lemon tea. They would also make a good pre or post workout bar.

**********************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a two time participant of the
Boston Marathon. She was the 2012
National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division. In 2013 she qualified as a
member of the Team USA Duathlon Team. She will compete in 2014 at the Age Group
World Duathlon Sprint Championship in Pontevedre Spain.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 145 members in 29 states. We also have members in Australia, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

I’ve often asked what I eat by friends and family. I think
they assume I eat super healthy because I am so active. While my diet was not
bad, I realized this year that I needed to make some improvements.

I have been trying to eat more nutrient dense foods and less
process pre-packed foods. One of the
things I’ve done is buy some new cookbooks.
One of my early purchases was this book.

The official title is “The Runners World Cookbook- 150
Ultimate Recipes for Fueling Up and Slimming Down- While Enjoying Every Bite.

The book is edited by Joanna Seyage Golub, with a forward by
Denna Kastor.

I bought this book on Kindle because I already have hundreds
of cookbooks in my kitchen. It is also nice to take grocery shopping or to flip
through recipes when I have a free moment. I take my Kindle to the doctor’s
office or when waiting to get my car serviced. I can pick out recipes while I’m
waiting.

This book has a couple of nice features. There is a key for
every recipe to tell you its key features at a glance.

·Pre-run

·Recovery

·Fast

·Vegetarian

·Vegan

·Low Calorie

·Gluten Free

The intro to the book is a primer on how a runner should eat
including the following topics:

·Choosing a rainbow of produce

·Choosing the right carbohydrate

·Getting the right fats

·Meeting protein needs

There are guides in each section for choosing the healthiest
foods.

This is a comprehensive cookbook with recipes in every
category including:

·Breakfast

·Snacks and Smoothies

·Salads and Dressings

·Soups and Stews

·Sandwiches, Pizza and Burgers

·Sauces & Pasta

·Meat and Poultry Mains

·Fish and Seafood Mains

·Vegetables

·Desserts

Almost every recipe comes with a picture. I like having a
picture so I can decide if I want to make a dish. So far I’ve tried three
recipes from the book:

·Slow Cooker Clam Chowder

·Chicken Quinoa Soup

·Thai Beef and Snow Pea Stir fry

The soup recipe was one of the first recipes I made using
quinoa. I had quinoa on a trip to Peru, but was
intimidated about making it. This recipe
got me started and I’ve now made quinoa a regular part of my diet All three
recipes were wonderful.

The salad section has a really nice selection of salads. I’m
looking forward to trying them and posting the results this summer. There is also a really interesting kale pesto
recipe I want to try.

You can buy the book in hard cover edition for $16.99 or the Kindle version for $10.99.

************************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMTAuthor Running for My Life-Winning for CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a two time participant of the
Boston Marathon. She was the 2012
National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division. In 2013 she qualified as a
member of the Team USA Duathlon Team. She will compete in 2014 at the Age Group
World Duathlon Sprint Championship in Pontevedre Spain.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 145 members in 29 states. We also have members in Australia, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

"Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves, it teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about."
- Patti Sue Plummer Two time U.S. Olympian and long distance runner

I started the week in Marquette Michigan. I like being away on business every once in a while. It gives me lots of time to work out in the evening.

What I didn't like was the 7 hour drive back from Marquette. Just like my trip in January, there was a snow storm. I had to drive the first four hours with blowing snow on snow covered roads. I could not even see the lane markings. There are rumble strips on the center line and on the outside of the road. When my car hit these I could not tell if I was on the center line or about to go in the ditch. It was all white.
So that was character building experience number one.

I finished the week with a 15 K race in Hartland, Wisconsin. I really did not want to race but it was on my training plan and if it's on the plan I'm going to do it.

It was not a great day for a run. The temperature was 31F, overcast, about 20 mph winds and it felt damp.It felt much colder than the run at did the Sunday before when it was 11F because there was no sun.

The course was 3 loops of 5K with two really long steep hills. That was four climbs on each loop. The 10 K and 15 K race started at the same time. Each loop came back to the start which was also the finish line. Almost everyone was doing the 10 K, so I got to watch runner after runner cross the finish line knowing I would have to do another loop up and down the same two hills.

I usually don't run outside when it is this miserable. I was cold and hungry. My legs were hurting on the last lap and I was getting tired. So a run on this kind of day is a character building experience. I don't like looped courses, because it is boring for me to see the same scenery multiple times. This time I didn't mind. On the last lap I thought to myself, it is only 3 miles. That's easy. I kept telling myself it was just a training run and that I had run 3 hours the week before.

My split at 5 K was 30:00, which would have been good enough for 2nd place in my age group. My splint at 10 K was 62:00 and good enough for 3rd in my age group. As I was doing the third loop the thought occurred to me since there were so few runners in the 15 K I was probably the only one in my age group.

I finished in 1 hr 36 minutes and 50 seconds. Good enough for 1st place and there were two of us in my age group. She was 4 minutes behind me. I was worried I would be the last to cross the finish line, but there were a couple of dozen runners behind me. I felt mentally strong even though my legs were sore. I wonder how I will do 26 miles in Boston when 9 miles was a bit of a struggle. It always seems to happen and character building days like this race really help. It's what we runners do!

**************************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a two time participant of the
Boston Marathon. She was the 2012
National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division. In 2013 she qualified as a
member of the Team USA Duathlon Team. She will compete in 2014 at the Age Group
World Duathlon Sprint Championship in Pontevedre Spain.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 145 members in 29 states. We also have members in Australia, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Today's soup has an Irish flair in honor of St. Patrick's day. I don't have any Irish in me, but I am an engineer. St Patrick is the patron saint of engineers. There was always a big St Pat's party at the engineering school here in Milwaukee. I remember as a fundraiser one of the student organizations I belonged to sold grilled brats and potato salad. We made enough to feed a crowd using about 50 pounds of potatoes. The quantities were so large I remember we mixed it with our hands because the kettle we used to hold the mixture was about 3 feet deep. I never liked potato salad and liked it less after that experience.

½ cup chopped yellow onion

½ cup chopped celery

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup chicken broth

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

1 cup sweet sauerkraut

2 cups fat free half and half

2 cups cooked chopped corn beef

1 ½ cup shredded Swiss cheese

Melt butter in a large stockpot. Saute the onion and celery. Add the chicken broth and baking soda. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth,
gradually add to broth mixture. Bring to a boil. Add the sauerkraut, half and half and
beef. Simmer, but do not boil. Heat for
15 minutes. Add the cheese and heat until melted.

Serve 6

**********************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a two time participant of the
Boston Marathon. She was the 2012
National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division. In 2013 she qualified as a
member of the Team USA Duathlon Team. She will compete in 2014 at the Age Group
World Duathlon Sprint Championship in Pontevedre Spain.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 143 members in 28 states. We also have members in Australia, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

I gave my niece Courtney a set of cast iron frying pans for her birthday this year. She loves to cook and it is something we often do together when I visit. I have been cooking using cast iron for over 30 years, just like my mom did. Courtney tells me her cast iron pans are her favorite cookware. So I am always on the look out for recipes that use cast iron. This one is also good for anyone that has given up meat for lent.

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a two time participant of the
Boston Marathon. She was the 2012
National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division. In 2013 she qualified as a
member of the Team USA Duathlon Team. She will compete in 2014 at the Age Group
World Duathlon Sprint Championship in Pontevedre Spain.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 143 members in 28 states. We also have members in Australia, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Friday, March 21, 2014

I recently took a class with Shannon Francis and Susan Haas
of GreenGoddessGardens.
They not only make natural and organic body care products, they teach how to
make them. These ladies put on a fun and
interesting class.

I’ve been using the cream we made and it does work. It helps
with the runner aches and pains I get as I am getting ready for Boston and it helps with
the neuropathy pain I get in my hands at night.

They are also working on a book they expect to publish soon
through Henschel House.

Shannon is also the Founder
of Resilency Training LLC offering team building programs. Her web sit is Resiliencytraining.net

1 tsp Peppermint Essential Oil

1 tsp Wintergreen Essential Oil

1 ¼ tsp camphor Essential Oil

1 tsp. Cajuput Essential Oil

¼ tsp Cinnamon Essential Oil

¼ tsp Clove bud Essential Oil

2 Tbs Beeswax, shaved

2 Tbs Grapeseed oil

¼ tsp vitamin E

Combine all essential oils in a small glass container.

Heat beeswax and grapeseed oil. Heat in a double boiler by
placing a pint size glass canning jar in a kettle of water. Slowly heat the
water. Take of heat when beeswax off of
heat when it liquefies. Add essential oils one teaspoon at a time. Stir
continuously until the batch reaches a smooth consistency. Pour into a 2 oz
container.

If you want to make more, just increase the size of the
ingredients.

Why you should make your own Pain Relief Cream

Most commercial cosmetics contain a substance called
petrolatum. Tiger Balm has this
substance. Petrolatum is a by product of
petroleum. It is a soft paraffin or wax
mixture sold as a topical skin ointment.
It can have side effects including being found in breast tumors, skin
suffocation, premature aging and aggravated acne. Can cause skin photosensitivity or promote
sun damage. It may interfere with the body’s ability to moisturize, leading to
dry skin and chapping. Petrolatum is
found in one of every 14 products as well as 15 percent of lipsticks and 40
percent of baby lotions and oils.

This cream has a strong smell similar to Ben-Gay. I don't mind the smell and the cream works well for the minor pain I get in my hands from my CMT and the pain I get in my legs after a tough running workout.

************************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a two time participant of the
Boston Marathon. She was the 2012
National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division. In 2013 she qualified as a
member of the Team USA Duathlon Team. She will compete in 2014 at the Age Group
World Duathlon Sprint Championship in Pontevedre Spain.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 143 members in 28 states. We also have members in Australia, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

I've written about some of my lofty goals. The first one I set was in 2012 when I set the goal to run the Boston Marathon. When I set that goal I had no idea how I would get in, much less run the race successfully. I did get in and after lots of hard training I finished 2nd in the Mobility Impaired division.

Lots of athletes set lofty goals, but very few have the drive, discipline and dedication it takes to be successful. You have to work out day in and day out, even when you don't feel like it. Every week day after day I do the training my coach has put on my training plan. It is what I need to do to be successful.

This week like any other had its challenges. I had a really bad fall during the cool down of my run on Friday night. I was tired after a week of poor sleep. The workout plan said to run for 1 hr 25 minutes so I was out the door. On the cool down my right foot caught and I started to fall forward. My momentum continued to carry me forward. I could not stop the fall. I leaned into it, broke it slightly with my hand and then did a roll.

I was shook up, a scraped up knee, bruised ego and a sore palm. I was not seriously injured. Falls like this are becoming more common as my CMT progresses. They don't feel good and remind me some day I may not be able to run at all. I've had lots of practice falling in my life and I've gotten good at it.

This was not the only run I needed to do on the weekend. I had a 3 hour run of about 16 miles to do. I thought about moving it to Saturday because I had a 6 hour drive on Sunday to Marquette Michigan.

I was due to be in Marquette on business early in the week. After my fall on Friday, I decided not to chance running two days in a row. A practice I 've followed for years to avoid injury.

So pushing the run to Sunday would mean I would have to do the run after the drive. Driving is always tiring for me and I was really tired when I arrived. The temperature was 11 F and I thought why did I not run in Milwaukee because the temperature had been 34 F the day before. I could have used the treadmill in the hotel workout room. If I did that all I would be looking at was the media screen attached to the machine and it had no sound.

So it would be an outside run. I was not hopeful since I never run outside when it is colder than about 20 F. I was worried about being out in cold temperatures for hours. Since my body does not always regulate temperature well, temperature extremes can be a problem. Sometimes at night I just cannot get warm.

My hotel was right on Lake Superior and right along side of a bike path that runs for miles along the harbor and shore. It is even plowed. I started off just after 2 pm. There was about an inch of fresh fallen snow on the trail. I had been worried about icy spots since it has been icy in Milwaukee. Ice patches were there, but few and far between.

It is hard to believe it was 11 F. It felt absolutely perfect. There was only a slight wind. The sun was shining and it felt so warm. Heat waves and steam was coming off of the street because the sun was so warm.

Part of the trail went through the woods and I took this picture. I love running when there is a bit of fresh snow. I felt like I am playing. Lots for runners and walkers out, we would nod and smile at each other because we all knew how great it was to be alive and be outside. The sun was warm on my face.

I passed more people out for hikes, taking their dogs for a walk. More quick hello's and smiles.

Winter can have a beauty all it's own. Even though it has been a long and brutal winter, it can still be so wonderful to be outside and revel in its wonder. It was just one of those days it was great to be a runner and be alive. Running silently I could fully take in it's wonder. Because I do not listen to music when I run there are no distractions. I fully live in the moment.

I ran for about 5 miles along the path before I turned around and got to see the same beauty all over again.
I had already completed an earlier loop in the other direction of about 4 miles.

I spent the rest of the time running some of the huge hills in town. The 3 hours were over before I knew it. My feet hurt and my legs ached, but my soul soared. It is days like this I remember why I am a runner. No other experience can replace it. Someday when I can't run, I will remember this day and remember a winter day in Marquette Michigan.

*******************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a two time participant of the
Boston Marathon. She was the 2012
National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division. In 2013 she qualified as a
member of the Team USA Duathlon Team. She will compete in 2014 at the Age Group
World Duathlon Sprint Championship in Pontevedre Spain.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 143 members in 28 states. We also have members in Australia, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Melt butter in bottom of soup pot. Add onions, carrots and celery. Cook until tender or about 3 minutes. Add flour. Then add milk and bullion cube. Heat until the soup just begins to simmer, and then turn to low heat. Add salmon, dill weed and cheese. Heat until cheese is melted.

Makes 4 servings

You can experiment with using different cheeses. A smoked Gouda or sharp cheddar would be great. I also though instead of the dill weed, adding curry powder would give this soup a nice spice.

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a two time participant of the
Boston Marathon. She was the 2012
National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division. In 2013 she qualified as a
member of the Team USA Duathlon Team. She will compete in 2014 at the Age Group
World Duathlon Sprint Championship in Pontevedre Spain.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 144 members in 29 states. We also have members in Australia, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.